No Love for Tide...

national media loves the Irish...
alabama prepares for number 15

     The only thing left that the media can do is to get the Pope to bless the Irish. Why not? It seems that everyone else in the known world has decided that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are going to win the National Title.  The wordsmith guys have said all they can about how great this Irish team has become. It seems that fate and destiny are starting in the Irish backfield. There are two things that are abundantly clear when you watch the talking heads - the first is that they have made this game all about Notre Dame. The second is they have made it well known they hope Notre Dame beats Alabama. The Crimson Tide is almost an afterthought if you watch and read the national media. Look, I get it. Notre Dame is a storied football program. There is a less than transparent effort on the part many to slant things in a Dublin direction. As an Alabama fan all I can say is "bring it on". We may not be the Las Vegas underdog, but except for part of the State of Alabama there is a universal hope the Tide loses. 

      If you love football you have to respect Notre Dame. The last time the Indiana school won a national championship was 1988. That means in the collective memories of any college football player the name Notre Dame is ancient history. Notre Dame hopes it can revive their legacy into something recognized by the average teenager. Personally, I've always like the Irish. They are just like us in many regards and I respect that. For all the puffing and bragging by each side, there remains one truth. That would be that no one knows who will win this game and in all fairness who should be favored. Odds don't mean a lot in a one game season. Coaching, players, and preparation are what matters. Many of the Alabama players are running on the field with 2 BCS championships under their belts. Their coach is the master of causing disaster to opposing teams. When you  give Nick Saban a month to prepare for a game is almost unfair. Remember this however  - there was only one undefeated team left standing when the regular season was over and it wasn't the Tide. Regardless of how close some of the Irish games were against less than sterling opponents they won each one. You cannot discount that. The game on Monday night is not going to be a walk in the park for Alabama or Notre Dame. Whoever walks off that field is going to be happy or sad with nothing in between.

      Don't discount the Notre Dame coaching. Brian Kelly has proved just how good a coach he is, and whether Notre Dame wins or loses he is going to be an almost consensus coach of the year. That doesn't mean he's a better coach than Nick Saban. In fact, he only has to be a better coach one time.  Literally anything can happen in a one game season. If you listen to the national pundits it is almost like its the good guys versus the bad guys. Good - that is exactly what Alabama needs in this game. You can put ALL THE SPOTLIGHT on the Irish for all I care. We don't need any distractions to cause us problems. I have to admit to my admiration of Monti Te'o. His story is heartwarming. It is a great storyline for the game and for any person's life.  Number 5 is one heck of a football player and person. C.J. Mosley is also one heck of a player and person. His decision to return next season brightened the hearts of Tide fans. There are so many compelling stories surrounding all the players of this game you could write a book. The only difference is that Notre Dame players are getting the attention and Alabama isn't. I think I understand more what my grandfather told me about Alabama going to play in that first Rose Bowl. We were country bumpkins, swamp rats, rejects, and inferior to the rest of the nation. We didn't belong. Flash forward to the present and it is almost like Alabama is just in the way of another great Irish story. Most of the nation hopes the Tide plays the part of the sacrificial lamb being led to slaughter.

      All of the stories are well and good, but I suspect that when Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide team takes the field blocking and tackling are going to be more important. I think Alabama has the edge in experience in big games. They probably have the majority of good players on the field. Notre Dame is close though. It would be easy to speculate that a redshirt freshman isn't going to win a big game against Alabama's defense. Johnny Football proved that wrong. Is Gholson as good as Manziel?  I don't think anyone is as good as Manziel was this season. That's not the question in my mind. The question is whether Gholson can be good enough on one night for four quarters to beat Alabama. I think he has that ability. I know that Alabama has played one team this season that has almost as much national recognition as Notre Dame. Michigan got humiliated with a senior quarterback.

       When you get down to the bottom line it isn't which team has the best history, or who is the most loved, or who we hope to win. It is a simple matter of which team plays well enough to win one game. In a one game season I'd always pick Alabama and Nick Saban. We may not have the blessing of the Pope but we have the best coach in college football. I believe football is a more secular than heavenly.  Bama by 11.